Stay focussed on positivity and take good care of your health while you prepare for a reformed world when the lockdown is suspended, says Sharad Agarwal
Working from home has become the new normal. And it has changed our routine drastically in many ways. Our work patterns have undergone a major transformation due to the current circumstances posed by the global Coronavirus pandemic. The need to adapt to new methods of working around technology has become a crucial component for us to achieve our milestones. However, work from home can prove challenging with the changed surroundings.
Considering the uncertainty looming in our lives, this time, I have adapted to it with many permutations and combinations. Here are some points which are helping me navigate and conduct my business and personal transactions through the lockdown phase, easily:
Optimise your daily task list
I like to start my work day early by organising and planning my task list on priority. This is followed by pre-scheduled calls with the management team, connecting with our dealer partners and a daily exchange of learning with my teams to refresh our business awareness, among other tasks. We are utilising this time to evaluate, conceptualise and prepare for the changes that we foresee as essential in our customer engagement and approach, especially post lockdown.
I have found it useful and worthwhile to assign a place to work in my house during the lockdown as it supports consistency and discipline while also assisting with productivity.
Re-create the changing wheel
Everything around us will be redefined after COVID-19, wherein the role of digital and adaptation of the existing set up to the changed times would have to be taken into consideration. It is essential to utilise the current period effectively to write the new norms for the business.
We need to understand and strive to engage with our customers despite challenges and should be open to adapting with the changing norms and take informed decisions keeping them in mind. Therefore, we are undertaking various steps to sanitise our workshops and cars, re-shaping and defining our back-end tasks, planning progressive digital launches for forthcoming vehicles and revamping the test drive experience for customers. Businesses are already operating on a new tangent and hence, adaptation is paramount in the current global economic scenario.
Prioritise your roles at home
My time at home during lockdown has inspired me to engage more with my family. Take this opportunity to help them with tasks around the house and take on a more active and supportive role in everyday chores. It is like being in the office where despite your work, you engage in conversations with your colleagues and visitors and help them to find solutions for issues that may not be directly related to the task at hand.
Work from home certainly has its advantages like saving the time of commute, to engage more with your family at home, friends and your extended family through various forms of digital communication. The lockdown has made me find my passion for cooking and learning yoga. I also look forward to very engaging and intellectual conversations with my daughters.
Upgrade your skills and acumen
Even though lockdown 3.0 has come with new restrictions and allowances, but as we prepare ourselves to enter a new world post complete freedom from lockdown, one must make all the efforts to upskill and upgrade themselves.
Invest your time in harnessing your skills, which may help you in your line of work or if you have mastered that, learn something new. There are numerous digital courses offered by reputed platforms and universities that one could register and pursue.
With respect to work, office teams can start focussing on individual areas of self-development. Share and discuss your daily learnings over a team call and participating in daily quizzes on various aspects of business is a great team activity for skill upgradation.
Set aside personal time
For many of us, apart from office, working from home may mean added workload with the responsibility of managing household chores. It is crucial that we utilise our time effectively by setting out tasks for the day and allocating time for each accordingly. Finding those 30 or more minutes of personal time amid all of this is very important. And it could be anything that helps you to find your inner calm — reading a book, meditating, exercising, catching up on a web series, conversing with your friend or family member, listening to music, practicing any art form and so on. It allows you to connect with yourself and keeps the emotion of feeling overwhelmed in check.
Future ready
In our fast-paced lifestyle, we forget to stop and think about our lives at length. We constantly keep working to reach our goals but never pause to rejoice in current moments. Well, now is the time.
Make living in the present and empowering yourself for future your top priorities. Renowned psychologist Abraham Maslow had rightly acknowledged, “The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness.” However, it is also necessary that we stay focussed on our goals and our dreams for the future during this time. Therefore, take the time to create the wishlist you want to prioritise, and work on them post the lockdown. Give yourself free reign to plan for your future as it is the positive route to establishing a firm hold on your aspirations.
One could also consider collaborating with ongoing local and community initiatives, helping people in need of support during the lockdown to not only be conducive towards personal growth but also spread positivity around yourself.
Striking a reasonable balance between your work and personal life will aid in making this period productive. Stay focussed on positivity and take good care of your health, while you prepare for a reformed world when the lockdown is suspended.
(The author is the head of Automobili Lamborghini, India.)
